Metropolitan public prosecutor of Dhaka begins scrutinising dockets and documents of cases filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family members who had earlier submitted applications for withdrawal of 20 cases filed against them.

Talking to The Daily Star, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Mohammad Abdullah Abu today said, "I had asked the authorities concerned to sort out the case documents submitted by Khaleda Zia and her family members for withdrawal of the cases.

"Following my order, the case documents were placed before me yesterday and I started scrutinising those. After scrutinising, I would give opinion within a short time whether the cases would be withdrawn or not." "If I find the cases filed against Khaleda Zia and her family members were politically motivated and filed for harassment, I will give my opinion for withdrawal of the cases,'' Abdullah Abu said.

He had earlier recommended withdrawal of 500 cases filed against Awami League leaders and activists during the regimes of BNP and the last caretaker government considering those to be "politically motivated" and meant for "harassment".

The cases were filed against Khaleda Zia, her sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko during the last caretaker government's regime. On July 20, Abdullah Abu had also recommended withdrawal of two cases filed against former law minister and BNP leader Moudud Ahmed and former food minister and BNP leader Mir Shawkat Ali.

Khaleda, also former prime minister, stands accused of graft in four cases. Her elder son Tarique Rahman faces 11 cases--seven for extortion, three for corruption and one for tax evasion charges--while her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko is accused in five cases--three for corruption and one each for money laundering and extortion.

Meanwhile, the government decided to withdraw over 243 cases filed against Sheikh Hasina and other political leaders. But it rejected the petitions for withdrawing 25 cases as those were filed on charges of theft, robbery, murder and rape. Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia and many other political leaders had petitioned for withdrawal of 2,781 cases filed against them.

Daily Star